For centuries, Iceland has been known as one of the few places in the\nworld never visited by mosquitoes. However, that unique status came to\nan end in October 2025 after an insect enthusiast found three mosquitoes\nin a garden in the Kj\u00f3s area, near Reykjav\u00edk.<\/p>\n
The discovery was made by Bj\u00f6rn Hjaltason on 16 October 2025. While\nchecking a simple insect trap in his back garden, he spotted an insect\nthat looked like a fly perched on a rope that had previously been soaked\nin red wine to attract moths and other insects.<\/p>\n
Hjaltason suspected the insect was a mosquito and captured it.\nShortly afterwards, two more were found. The three specimens were then\nhanded over to the Natural Science Institute of Iceland for\nexamination.<\/p>\n
Entomologist Matth\u00edas Alfre\u00f0sson identified all three as Culiseta\nannulata, a mosquito species known for its ability to survive in cold\nconditions and widely found in northern Europe. The finding became the\nfirst confirmation of the presence of mosquitoes in Iceland.<\/p>\n
Iceland has long had conditions that actually provide many potential\nhabitats for mosquitoes, from lakes, wetlands and rivers to sheltered\nvalleys. However, environmental conditions and seasonal patterns that\nwere previously considered unsupportive of the mosquito life cycle kept\nthe country an exception among northern-climate nations.<\/p>\n
The species Culiseta annulata itself has the ability to adapt to low\ntemperatures. This mosquito can survive the winter by sheltering in\nplaces such as basements, barns and outbuildings.<\/p>\n
Even so, tourists need not imagine that Iceland will soon turn into a\ntropical destination swarming with mosquitoes. To date, scientists have\nnot confirmed whether the three insects found are part of an\nestablished, breeding mosquito population in Iceland.<\/p>\n
The discovery came amid record temperatures. The emergence of the\nmosquitoes occurred as Iceland was experiencing quite striking climate\nchange.<\/p>\n
According to an official assessment by the Icelandic Meteorological\nOffice, 2025 was the warmest year in Iceland since instrumental records\nbegan. The national average temperature reached 5.2\u00b0C, around 1.1\u00b0C\nhigher than the 1991\u20132020 average.<\/p>\n
Four of the five warmest years in Iceland\u2019s records have now occurred\nsince the start of the 21st century. 2025 also saw a number of seasonal\nand monthly records, including the warmest spring ever recorded\nnationally. On 16 August, the temperature even reached 29.8\u00b0C at\nEgilssta\u00f0ir Airport.<\/p>\n
In its long-term climate assessment, the meteorological office also\nnoted a significant warming trend since around 1980, at a rate of about\n0.47\u00b0C per decade.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, scientists are cautious about directly concluding that\nthe mosquito discovery was caused by climate change. Warmer temperatures\nmay be one factor altering environmental conditions, but further\nresearch is needed to confirm a causal link.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/after-hundreds-of-years-mosquitoes-suddenly-appear-in-iceland-1787287905", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }